The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility

Transcription

1 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility By Oliver Bracht, Constanze Engel, Kerstin Janson, Albert Over, Harald Schomburg and Ulrich Teichler International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER-Kassel) University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany Final Report (Revised version: November 2006) External (interim) Evaluation of the Impact of ERASMUS Mobility (action 2 of the SOCRATES Community action programme; ) on Students Access to Employment and Career Development, on Teachers Career Development and on Two Areas of Study to be Specified. (Contract No ) Presented to the European Commission - DG Education and Culture

2 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility Table of Contents Executive Summary Executive Summary (Français) Executive Summary (Deutsch) 1 Introduction Aims and Design of the Study Modes of Inquiry 2 2 The ERASMUS Programme The History of the Programme The Initial ERASMUS Approach The SOCRATES Approach Implementing ERASMUS as a Sub-Programme within SOCRATES SOCRATES/ERASMUS Findings of the Expert Survey Introduction The ERASMUS Expert Survey Competences of Mobile Students Upon Return Impact of ERASMUS Student Mobility on Competences Upon Graduation Impact of ERASMUS Student Mobility: Transition to Work Career Impact of ERASMUS Student Mobility Suggestions for Improvement (Student Mobility) Good Practices (Student Mobility) Direct Impact of ERASMUS Mobility on the Mobile Teachers Impact on the Teachers Subsequent Activities at the Home Institution Impact on Teachers Career Suggestions for Improvement (Teaching Staff Mobility) Good Practice (Teaching Staff Mobility) Concluding Remarks 43 4 Former Students' Views and Experiences Introduction Prior Studies The Survey of 2000/01 ERASMUS Students The Profile of Former ERASMUS The Early Career Job Search and Recruitment Competences, Orientations and Work Assignments Competences and Job Requirements International Dimensions of Employment and Work Perceived Impact and Assessment of Study Abroad Concluding Remarks 82 xi xxv xli ii

3 Table of Contents 5 The Employers View of the Professional Value of Temporary Study in Another European Country Introduction The Profile of the Organisations Recruitment of Young Graduates International Work Tasks of Graduates Competences and Work Position and Salary Knowledge of the SOCRATES/ERASMUS Programme Concluding Remarks The Mobile Teachers Views and Experiences Introduction Prior Studies The Survey of 2000/01 ERASMUS Teaching Staff Characteristics of Responding Teaching Staff Motives for Teaching Abroad and Actual Activities The General Professional Value of ERASMUS Teaching Mobility Program Institutional Conditions for Teaching Mobility Impact of the Teaching Mobility on the Home Institution of Higher Education Concluding Remarks The University Leaders Views Introduction The Survey of Leaders at ERASMUS Higher Education Institutions Characteristics of Responding Higher Education Institutions Internationalisation of Universities: Objectives and Activities Student Mobility and Employability ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility Concluding Remarks ERASMUS Mobility: Experiences and Prospects in Four Selected Field of Studies Aims and Procedures of the Analysis Mechanical Engineering Business Studies Sociology Chemistry Concluding Remarks Major Results and Recommendations Summary of Core Results A Look Back to the Initial Evaluation Questions Recommendations Literature 233 iii

4 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility List of Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Competences of ERASMUS Mobile Students Upon Return as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...17 Competences of Former ERASMUS Mobile Students Upon Graduation as Compared to Non- Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...21 Job Search of Former ERASMUS Students as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...23 Initial Employment of Former ERASMUS Students as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...25 Employment and Work Situation of Former ERASMUS Students as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...28 International and European Work Assignments of Former ERASMUS Students as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...30 Competences of Former ERASMUS Teachers Upon Return as Compared to Non-Mobile Teachers in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...34 Extent of Changes of the Mobile Teachers Academic Activities Upon Return as Compared to the Situation before Departure in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...38 Long-term Career Impact of Teaching Abroad - Opportunities of Former ERASMUS Teachers as Compared to Non-mobile Teachers in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent)...41 Response Rate* of the Survey with Former ERASMUS Students by Home Country (percent)...53 Figure 11 Gender of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent)...55 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18 Current Major Activity of Former ERASMUS Students (percent)...56 Permanent Contract at the First Job and Current Job by Field of Study (Percent)...58 Full-Time Employment at First Job and Current Job by Field of Study (Percent)...58 Former ERASMUS Students' Self-assessed Competences at Time of Graduation (percent "high"; responses 1 and 2)...62 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Required Competences at Current Work (percent "high"; responses 1 and 2)...63 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of the Impact of Study Abroad (percent "positive impact"; responses 1 and 2)...76 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Study Abroad (percent "worthwhile"; responses 1 and 2)...78 Figure 19 Themes of the Employers' Survey...85 Figure 20 Themes of the Questionnaire of Former Mobile ERASMUS Teachers Figure 21 Themes of the Universities' Leader Survey Figure 22 Universities' Number of Academic Staff by Rank and Region (mean) Figure 23 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Mechanical Engineering Figure 24 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Mechanical Engineering by Country of Home Institution 2000/ Figure 25 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Business Studies Figure 26 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Business Studies by Country of Home Institution 2000/ Figure 27 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Sociology Figure 28 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Sociology by Country of Home Institution 2000/ Figure 29 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Natural Sciences Figure 30 Total Number and Percentage of ERASMUS Students - Natural Sciences by Country of Home Institution 2000/ iv

5 Table of Contents List of Tables Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Table 7 Table 8 Table 9 Overview about the Surveys Conducted in the VALERA Study...4 Overview of the Field Phase of the Survey of ERASMUS Experts...14 Response Rates by Type of Experts (Survey of ERASMUS Experts)...15 Competences of Former ERASMUS Students Upon Graduation as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts by Country of Expert (arithmetic mean)...22 Job Search of Former ERASMUS Students as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts by Country of Expert (percent)...24 Characteristics of Employment and Work of Former ERASMUS Students as Compared to Non-Mobile Students in the View of ERASMUS Experts by Country of Expert (arithmetic mean)...29 Foreign Language Proficiency of Former ERASMUS Teachers as Compared to Non-Mobile Teachers in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent and number)...36 Academic Knowledge of Former ERASMUS Teachers as Compared to Non-Mobile Teachers in the View of ERASMUS Experts (percent and number)...37 Overview of the Field Phase of the Survey of Former ERASMUS Students...49 Table 10 Themes of the Questionnaire of the Survey with Former ERASMUS Students...51 Table 11 Table 12 Survey with Former ERASMUS Students - Population, Sample and Response...54 Duration of Study Abroad During ERASMUS Period 2000/2001 of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (means)...55 Table 13 Duration of Further Study of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (means)...56 Table 14 Current Major Activity of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent)...57 Table 15 Table 16 Duration of Employment of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (means)...57 Number of Employers Since Graduation of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent)...59 Table 17 Start of Job Search of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent)...59 Table 18 Number of Employers Contacted During Job Search by Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (means)...60 Table 19 Duration of Job Search of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (means)...60 Table 20 Table 21 Table 22 Table 23 Table 24 Table 25 Table 26 Table 27 Table 28 Table 29 Table 30 Recruitment Criteria of Employers in the View of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2)...61 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Required Competences at Current Work by Field of Study (percent "high"; responses 1 and 2)...63 Former ERASMUS Students' Work Orientations by Field of Study (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2)...64 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of the Professional Situation by Field of Study (percent "high"; responses 1 and 2)...65 Former ERASMUS Students' Usage of their Knowledge and Skills Acquired in the Course of Study by Field of Study (percent; arithmetic mean)...66 Former ERASMUS Students Assessment of the Relationship Between their Field of Study and Area of Work by Field of Study (percent; multiple responses)...66 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of the Appropriateness of their Employment and Work to Level of Education by Field of Study (percent; arithmetic mean)...67 Former ERASMUS Students' Satisfaction with Current Work by Field of Study (percent; arithmetic mean)...67 Links Between Study and Subsequent Employment and Work Perceived by Former ERASMUS Students - a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent of employed graduates)...68 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of their Competences Upon Graduation as Compared to Non-Mobile Students by Field of Study (percent "better"; responses 1 and 2)...69 Perceived Positive Impact of ERASMUS Study Period on Employment and Work - a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent)...69 v

6 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility Table 31 Table 32 Table 33 Table 34 Table 35 Table 36 Table 37 Table 38 Table 39 Table 40 Table 41 Table 42 Table 43 Table 44 Table 45 Table 46 Table 47 Table 48 Former ERASMUS Students Current Employment Situation a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent)...70 International Mobility of Former ERASMUS Students Since Graduation by Field of Study (percent; multiple responses)...71 Scope of Operations of Organisation of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent; multiple responses)...71 Business Contacts with Other Countries of Organisation of Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent "high extent"; responses 1 and 2)...72 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of the Importance of International Competences by Field of Study (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2)...72 ERASMUS-Related Work Task of Former ERASMUS Students a Comparison with Previous Surveys (% of employed graduates)...73 Selected Recruitment Criteria of Employers in the View of Former Students a Comparison with Previous Surveys...74 International Dimensions of Employment and Work of Former ERASMUS Students a Comparison with Previous Surveys (%)...75 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of the Impact of Study Abroad by Field of Study (percent "positive impact"; responses 1 and 2)...76 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Study Abroad by Field of Study (percent "worthwhile"; responses 1 and 2)...78 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Selected Modes of Teaching and Learning Emphasized by the Host Institution in Selected Host Countries (percent "high"; responses 1 and 2)...79 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Academic Level of Courses at the Host Institution as Compared to the Home Institution a Comparison with Previous Surveys (average percent of courses)...80 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Selected Problems During Study Period Abroad a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent)...80 Host Countries Where Former ERASMUS Students Faced Relatively High and Low Problems during Study Period Abroad...81 Former ERASMUS Students' Assessment of Recognition of ERASMUS-Supported Study a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent)...81 Economic Sector of Organisations Responding by Type of Survey (percent)...86 Size of the Organisation by Type of Survey (percent)...86 Economic Sector of Employers by Kind of Organisation (percent)...88 Table 49 Number of Employees and Graduates in the Organisation (percent of employers)...89 Table 50 Table 51 Table 52 Table 53 Table 54 Table 55 Table 56 Table 57 Table 58 Importance of Different Recruitment Criteria in the View of Employers by European Region (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2)...90 Importance of Different Recruitment Criteria of Employers in the View of Graduates and Employers (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2) Employers Rating of the Importance of Characteristics of the Study Period Abroad by European Region (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2)...92 Employers' Preference of Modes of Mobility by European Region (percent; multiple responses)...93 International Work Tasks of Young Graduates in the View of Employers by European Region (percent "often"; responses 1 and 2)...94 Employers' Business or Contact with Other Countries by Size of the Organization (percent)...94 Kind of International Work Tasks of Young Graduates with Respect to Their International Experience in the View of Employers (percent "high extent"; responses 1 and 2)...95 International Work Tasks of Young Graduates in the View of Employers by European Region (percent "high extent"; responses 1 and 2)...96 Employers' Rating of Competences of Young Graduates with Respect to Their International Experience (percent "high extent"; responses 1 and 2)...98 vi

7 Table of Contents Table 59 Table 60 Table 61 Table 62 Table 63 Table 64 Table 65 Table 66 Employers' Rating of Competences of Young Graduates With International Experience by Employers and Self-rating of Competences by Graduates (percent "high extent"; responses 1 and 2)...99 Employers' Rating of Selected Competences of Young Graduates With International Experience by Size of the Organization (percent "high extent"; responses 1 and 2) Employers' Rating of Competences of Former ERASMUS Students Compared to Other Mobile Students by Size of the Organization (percent) Higher Professional Responsibility of Internationally Experienced Graduates in the View of Employers by European Region (percent) Higher Salary of International Experienced Young Graduates in Their First Year in the View of Employers by Kind of Organisation (percent) Higher Salary of International Experienced Young Graduates After Five Years of Work Experiences in the View of Employers by European Region (percent) Higher Salary of International Experienced Young Graduates After Five Years of Work Experiences in the View of Employers by Kind of Organisation (percent) Employers' Knowledge of the SOCRATES/ERASMUS Programme by European Region (percent) Table 67 Overview of the Field Phase of the Survey of Former ERASMUS Teaching Staff Table 68 Teaching Subject of ERASMUS-Supported Mobile Teachers by Home Region 2005 (percent) Table 69 Home Countries of Responding Teachers 2000/ / 06 (percent) Table 70 Table 71 Table 72 Table 73 Table 74 Table 75 Teachers' Reasons for Teaching Abroad in the Framework of ERASMUS by Home Country (percent; responses 1 and 2) Teachers' Reasons for Teaching Abroad in the Framework of ERASMUS by Direction of Mobility (percent; responses 1 and 2) Professional Value of ERASMUS Teaching Assignments in the View of Mobile Teachers by Home Region 2000/01 (percent) Effects of Teaching Abroad by Direction of Mobility in the View of Mobile Teachers (percent; responses 1 and 2) Impacts of Teaching Period(s) Abroad in the View of Mobile Teachers by Teaching Subject (percent; responses 1 and 2) General Academic Impact of Teaching Abroad by Home Region 2000/01 (percent; responses 1 and 2) Table 76 Teachers' Activities Abroad by Home Country 2005/06 (percent; multiple responses) Table 77 Academic Impact by ERASMUS Teaching Assignments Abroad by Home Region 2000/01 (percent; responses 1 and 2) Table 78 Table 79 Table 80 Table 81 Table 82 Table 83 Teachers' Assessment of Teaching Mobility within the Higher Education Institution by Home Region 2000/01 (percent) Change of Attitudes within the Institution of Higher Education towards Teaching Mobility in the View of Mobile Teachers by Home Region 2000/01 (percent; responses 1 and 2) Usual Proceedings Regarding Workload of Teaching Abroad in the View of Mobile Teachers by Home Region 2000/01 (percent) Teachers Work Load of Teaching Abroad During the Academic Year 2000/ 01 by Teaching Subject (percent; multiple responses) Impacts of ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility on the Home Institution in the View of Mobile Teachers by Home Region 2000/01 (percent; responses 1 and 2) Overview of the Field Phase of the Survey of Leaders at ERASMUS Higher Education Institutions Table 84 Universities' Status by Number of Students Enrolled (in percent) Table 85 Table 86 Table 87 Universities' Fields of Study Programmes by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; multiple responses) Universities' Number of Academic Staff in the Academic Year 2000/2001 by Rank and Number of Students Enrolled (means) Universities' Degree Programmes Taught in Foreign Languages by Number of Students Enrolled (percent) vii

8 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility Table 88 Table 89 Table 90 Table 91 Table 92 Table 93 Table 94 Table 95 Table 96 Table 97 Table 98 Table 99 Table 100 Objectives of Internationalisation in the View of University Leaders by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) University Leaders' Assessment of Increasing Employment Opportunities by ERASMUS by Number of Students Enrolled (percent) University Leaders' Assessment of Impacts of ERASMUS on Job Opportunities by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) Universities' Measures to Increase the Employability of Graduates by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; multiple responses) Competences Reinforced by ERASMUS Study Period Abroad in the View of University Leaders by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) Assessment of Impact on the Employability of Graduates in the View of University Leaders by Number of Students Enrolled (percent) Universities' Criteria Used for the Selection of Students to Join ERASMUS Exchange Programme by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) Competences Valued by Employers in the View of University Leaders by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) Changed Significance of Study Periods Abroad in the View of University Leaders by Number of Students Enrolled (percent) Universities Sources of Information on the Professional Careers of Graduates by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; multiple responses) ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility in the View of University Leaders by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; multiple responses) Universities' Change of Attitudes Towards Teaching Staff Mobility by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) Universities' Change of Attitudes Towards Teaching Staff Mobility by Home Region (arithmetic mean) Table 101 Universities' Support for Mobile Teachers by Number of Students Enrolled (arithmetic mean) Table 102 Universities' Support for Mobile Teachers by Home Region (percent; responses 1 and 2) Table 103 Table 104 Table 105 Table 106 Universities' Assessment of International Experiences During Application Procedures of New Academic Staff by Home Region (percent; responses 1 and 2) Universities' Assessment of ERASMUS Activities in the Hiring of Academic Staff by Number of Students Enrolled (percent; responses 1 and 2) Former Mechanical Engineering ERASMUS Students' Assessment of their Competences Upon Graduation as Compared to Non-Mobile Students (percent) Former Mechanical Engineering ERASMUS Students' Self-assessed Competences at Time of Graduation and Job Requirements about 2-3 Years Later (percent "high"; answers 1 and 2) Table 107 Participants' Institution and Function of the "Mechanical Engineering" Seminar Table 108 Typology of Mobile Students (presentation of a participant) Table 109 Table 110 Former Business Studies ERASMUS Students' Assessment of their Competences Upon Graduation as Compared to Non-Mobile Students (percent) Former Business Studies ERASMUS Students' Self-assessed Competences at Time of Graduation and Job Requirements about 2-3 Years Later (percent "high"; answers 1 and 2) Table 111 Participants' Institution and Function of the "Business Study" Seminar Table 112 Table 113 Former Sociology ERASMUS Students' Assessment of their Competences Upon Graduation as Compared to Non-Mobile Students (percent) Former Sociology ERASMUS Students' Self-assessed Competences at Time of Graduation and Job Requirements about 2-3 Years Later (percent "high"; answers 1 and 2) Table 114 Participants' Institution and Function of the "Sociology" Seminar Table 115 Table 116 Former Chemistry ERASMUS Students' Assessment of their Competences Upon Graduation as Compared to Non-Mobile Students (percent) Former Chemistry ERASMUS Students' Self-assessed Competences at Time of Graduation and Job Requirements about 2-3 Years Later (percent "high"; answers 1 and 2) Table 117 Participants' Institution and Function of the "Chemistry" Seminar viii

9 Table of Contents Table 118 Table 119 Table 120 Table 121 Table 122 Table 123 Table 124 Table 125 Table 126 Positive Influence of ERASMUS Study Period on Employment and Work - a Comparison with Previous Surveys as perceived by Former Students (percent) Former ERASMUS Students Current Employment Situation a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent) Links Between Study and Subsequent Employment and Work Perceived by Former ERASMUS Students - a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent of employed graduates) Higher Salary of Internationally Experienced Young Graduates After Five Years of Work Experience According Employers by European Region (percent) Changed Significance of Study Periods Abroad as Perceived by University leadership by Number of Students Enrolled (percent) Rating of Competences of Young Graduates With International Experience by Employers and Self-rating of Competences by Graduates (percent; responses 1 and 2 of a 5-point scale from 1 = "to a very high extent" to 5 = "not at all") Relevance of International Competences as Perceived by Former ERASMUS Students by Field of Study (percent "important"; responses 1 and 2) ERASMUS-Related Work Task of Former ERASMUS Students a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent of employed graduates) Impacts of ERASMUS Teaching Staff Mobility on the Home Institution as Perceived by Former Mobile Teachers by Home Region 2000/01 (percent; responses 1 and 2) ix

10 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility Overview of Abbreviations Home and Host Country Codes 1 AT Austria 17 LI Liechtenstein 2 BE Belgium 18 LT Lithuania 3 BG Bulgaria 19 LU Luxembourg 4 CY Cyprus 20 MA Malta 5 CZ Czech Republic 21 NL Netherlands 6 DK Denmark 22 NO Norway 7 EE Estonia 23 PL Poland 8 FI Finland 24 PT Portugal 9 FR France 25 RO Romania 10 DE Germany 26 SK Slovakia 11 GR Greece 27 SI Slovenia 12 HU Hungary 28 ES Spain 13 IC Iceland 29 SE Sweden 14 IR Ireland 30 CH Switzerland 15 IT Italy 31 UK United Kingdom 16 LV Latvia 32 OT Other country Field of Study Codes 1 Agri OTH Agricultural Sciences 2 Arch ENG Architecture, urban and regional planning 3 Art HUM Art and design 4 Bus BUS Business studies, management sciences, economics 5 Edu HUM Education, teacher training 6 Eng ENG Engineering, technology 7 Geo NAT Geography, geology 8 Hum HUM Humanities 9 Lan HUM Languages, philological sciences 10 Law SOC Law 11 Math ENG Mathematics, informatics 12 Med MED Medical Sciences 13 Nat ENG Natural Sciences 14 Soc SOC Social Sciences 15 Com SOC Communications and information sciences 16 Oth OTH Other x

11 Executive Summary Aims and Design of the Study The VALERA project (VALERA = Value of ERASMUS Mobility) aims to establish the impact of mobility within the ERASMUS sub-programme of SOCRATES on the mobile students and teachers careers. For this purpose, representative surveys were undertaken of formerly mobile ERASMUS students and formerly mobile ERASMUS teachers. In addition, university leaders were asked to assess the role of student and teacher mobility at their institution, and employers were requested to report about the experience with formerly mobile students. Moreover, a broad range of actors and experts stated their perceptions of the impact of ERASMUS mobility in an expert survey and in discussions during general and field specific seminars. Each survey addressed several dimensions of professional value. With respect to student mobility, professional success was measured primarily in terms of: General and international competences, Transition to work, First and subsequent employment and work, and International aspects of employment and work. Similarly, the professional impact of teacher mobility was assessed in five domains: General academic and teaching competences, International and inter-cultural competences, ERAMUS-related activities at the home higher education institution, Vertical and horizontal professional mobility, and International professional mobility. The aim of the evaluation was to establish the extent of professional value of student and teacher mobility in various respects, to identify circumstances conducive to increase desirable results, and to assess the overall results with respect of the relevance, effectiveness, impact and durability of the SOCRATES scheme in the area of higher education. Modes of Inquiry The evaluation study was divided into two major phases. The first phase started with the analysis of previous studies and an expert survey. The expert questionnaires were sent to representatives of the ERASMUS programme itself and representatives of higher education policy, student organisations, teachers, administrators and employers organisations. Information was provided by 67 experts, i.e. 43 percent of the 156 persons initially addressed. Both, the findings of prior studies and of the experts responses, are summarized in a first report of the study, the Framework Report. It xi

12 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility provides information in its own right on the impact of mobility and helped to design the key surveys of the evaluation study. Subsequently, four key surveys were undertaken: Survey of former ERASMUS students: former ERASMUS students of the academic year of 2000/01, selected according to count and sampled according to higher education institutions, were contacted with the help of their home institutions of higher education. They were asked to respond to a highly standardized paper questionnaire. Actually, 4,589 persons responded, i.e. 45 percent of those contacted. Survey of former ERASMUS teachers: All mobile teachers from a sample of higher education institutions of the academic year 2000/01 were addressed via ERASMUS coordinators at the individual institutions of higher education and were asked to fill out an online questionnaire. 755 persons responded, about 24 percent of 3,123 teachers contacted. Survey of university leaders: A paper questionnaire was sent via the ERASMUS coordinators to all university leaders of those institutions which had signalled readiness to cooperate with the evaluation study in prior correspondence. Actually, 626 university leaders responded, i.e. 44 percent of the 1,437 contacted. Survey of employers: A paper questionnaire was sent to about 1,500 persons supervising former ERASMUS students on their workplace (they could be reached because former ERASMUS students had provided their names and addresses) and to a sample of 4,500 employers from all SOCRATES-eligible countries. Altogether, 312 responses were received, i.e. 6 percent of those contacted. A draft analysis of the first two surveys was presented to a seminar of experts. The seminar provided an opportunity to explain the findings more thoroughly. Moreover, it helped to specify the objectives of the second phase of the evaluation study and to select the fields of study addressed in the second phase. The second phase of the evaluation study aimed to gather in-depth information on the professional value of mobility in select fields of study. According to the experts advice, four fields of study (rather than two initially envisaged) were selected: Chemistry as an academically oriented field and Mechanical Engineering as a professionally oriented field in science and technology and similarly Sociology and Business studies in the area of humanities and social sciences. Representatives of these fields and related professional areas (students, teachers, employers and representatives of their organisations, thereby notably persons involved in curriculum development) were invited to one-day intensive seminars (instead of interviews initially envisaged). The indepth communication during the seminars helped to reveal the tacit knowledge of the participants and to discuss both major findings of the surveys as well as possible directions of improvement of ERASMUS student mobility. Altogether, stronger and more time-consuming efforts were needed to win the cooperation of the institutions of higher education and of the various groups of respondents than in similar previous studies. The European Commission accepted for xii

13 Executive Summary that reason an extension of the project to about twice the period initially envisaged. Moreover, the research team well experienced in studies on international mobility and responsible for ERASMUS evaluations between the start of the programme and the late 1990s - contributed to the survival of the study with substantial additional resources not paid by the Commission. This saved the project as such, but the response rates remained lower than expected and lower than in previous surveys. There are reasons to assume that response was not only affected by an evaluation fatigue within ERASMUS. The more evaluation in higher education is accepted as highly important, the more ironically the quality of systematic evaluations seem to suffer, because all persons involved become overburdened as a consequence of frequent calls to provide information or to support evaluation studies administratively. Though one would have liked higher response rates, the evaluation study certainly could provide interesting information on the professional impact of ERASMUS supported mobility and on the views of the formerly mobile persons and various actors and experts regarding possible improvements in the future. Transition from Study to Employment Temporary student mobility stimulates former ERASMUS students to be interested in advanced education. Two out of five of the 2000/01 students about as many as in previous ERASMUS generations, but about twice as many as European students in general transferred to advanced study, most of them immediately after graduation and a few somewhat later. The former ERASMUS students addressed started slightly later than previous generations to seek for employment, but the average search period - less than 4 months - was shorter than that of previous generations of ERASMUS students surveyed. 54 percent of former ERASMUS students recently surveyed believe that the period abroad was helpful in obtaining the first job. But this advantage declined; the respective figures were 71 percent among the 1988/89 ERASMUS students and 66 percent of those graduating in 1994/95 (see Figure 1). xiii

14 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility Figure 1 Perceived Positive Impact of ERASMUS Study Period on Obtaining the First Job - a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent) 100 Percent of students/graduates ERASMUS students 1988/89 (surveyed 1993) ERASMUS graduates 1994/95 (surveyed 2000) Type of survey ERASMUS students 2000/01 (surveyed 2005) Question H1: What impact do you feel that your study abroad experience has had with regard to your employment? Source: Maiworm and Teichler 1996; Jahr and Teichler 2002; University of Kassel, VALERA Survey of Former ERASMUS Students During their first years of employment at the time of the survey, the respondents were employed less than three years on average more than half of the former ERASMUS students have changed their employer. According to a previous survey, this early change is more common than among formerly non-mobile persons. Both, former students and employers surveyed suggest that strong emphasis is placed both on academic achievement and personality in recruitment. In comparison to previous surveys, notably computer skills and foreign language proficiency have become more important recently. Also international experience gained momentum among the recruitment criteria, actually reported as important by about half of the former students and one third of the employers. Graduate Career and Work Six percent of former 2000/01 ERASMUS students report five years after studying in another European country that they were unemployed. This rate was higher than among those formerly mobile twelve years earlier, when 4 percent were unemployed about five years after the study period abroad. Similarly, the proportion those employed temporarily increased from 27 percent within these 12 years to 35 percent. In contrast, the proportion of those employed part-time remained stable at 10 percent. 72 percent of the 2000/01 ERASMUS students employed five years later believe that the level of position and income is appropriate to their level of educational attainment. xiv

15 Executive Summary In previous surveys, similar responses were given, whereby formerly mobile students observed an appropriate employment more frequently than graduates who had not been mobile during the course of study (see Figure 2). Figure 2 Links Between Study and Subsequent Employment and Work Perceived by Employed Former ERASMUS Students - a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent) High use of knowledge Appropriate level High satisfaction with current work 100 Percent of students/graduates ERASMUS students 1988/89 surveyed 1993 Graduates 1994/95 surveyed 2000 Non-mobile Graduates 1994/95 surveyed 2000 ERASMUS students 2000/01 surveyed 2005 Type of survey The figure aggregates the responses to three questions; Question G2: If you take into consideration your current work tasks altogether: To what extent do you use the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of study? Question G3: How would you characterise the relationship between your field of study and your area of work? Question G5: Altogether, to what extent are you satisfied with your current work? Source: Maiworm and Teichler 1996; Jahr and Teichler 2002; University of Kassel, VALERA Survey of Former ERASMUS Students Only 16 percent of the recently surveyed former ERASMUS students consider their income to be higher than that of their peers not having spent any study period abroad. This is clearly lower than in previous generations (see Figure 3): There is even a higher proportion of those who consider their income lower than that of their mobile peers. Employers surveyed in 2006 express a more positive view. According to more than 40 percent of them, internationally experienced graduates are likely to take over professional assignments with high professional responsibility. 21 percent believe that internationally experienced graduates can expect a higher income after some years than those without international experience. Among the experts surveyed at the beginning of the evaluation study, even about one third each believe that the former ERASMUS students can expect a higher status, higher earnings as well as a better chance of reaching a position appropriate to their level of education. xv

16 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility Figure 3 Perceived Positive Impact of ERASMUS Study Period on Type of Work and Income - a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent) 100 Percent of students/graduates Type of work task involved Income level ERASMUS students 1988/89 surveyed 1993 Graduates 1994/95 surveyed 2000 Type of survey ERASMUS students 2000/01 surveyed 2005 Question H1: What impact do you feel that your study abroad experience has had with regard to your employment? Source: Maiworm and Teichler 1996; Jahr and Teichler 2002; University of Kassel, VALERA Survey of Former ERASMUS Students The university leaders rate the former ERASMUS students career opportunities most favourably, and most of them expect that their career advantage will increase in the future. Four fifth believe that a study abroad often increases the chance of getting a reasonable job. More than half expect that ERASMUS students more often than nonmobile students get a position appropriate to their level of educational attainment, and one quarter that ERASMUS has a more positive impact on the employability of graduates than any other type of study abroad. Competences and Work of Former ERASMUS Students Retrospectively, the former ERASMUS students rate their competences at the time of graduation as high in many respects: academic knowledge, foreign languages and various dimensions work attitudes and work styles. The ratings are higher in many respects than among former ERASMUS student generations. We do not know whether there was a general improvement of the impact of study in general or that of international experience. One should bear in mind, though, that the most recent surveys include a substantial number of Central and Eastern European countries where former ERASMUS students perceive clearly a higher professional value of ERASMUS. By and large, the employers rate the competences of internationally experienced graduates as favourably as the former ERASMUS students their own competences. xvi

17 Executive Summary Altogether, employers believe that internationally experienced young graduates have clearly higher competences than those without international experience. International experience notably seems to reinforce adaptability, initiative, the ability to plan and assertiveness. The experts surveyed initially even have a substantially more positive view of the ERASMUS students. 73 percent consider the academic knowledge of ERASMUS students upon return from the study period abroad to be better than that of non-mobile students, and 82 percent view them as better prepared for future employment and work. They also note higher socio-communicative competences as well as better ways of problem-solving and leadership. 61 percent of the recently surveyed former ERASMUS students who are employed five years later state that they can use the knowledge acquired during the course of study on the job to a high extent (see Figure 2). This is slightly lower than among there predecessors 12 years earlier. 39 percent of those recently surveyed note positive influence on the type of work tasks involved. This again is a decline as compared to 49 percent and 44 percent in the previous two surveys. About three quarters of former ERASMUS students express a high degree of satisfaction with their employment and work situation (see Figure 2). They state most often that they have largely independent work tasks, can use their competences, have challenging work tasks and have opportunities for continuing learning. The majority of experts surveyed believe that former ERASMUS students have better opportunities than non-mobile students to take over independent work tasks, and almost half of them assume that they have more frequently challenging work tasks. International Assignments of Former ERASMUS Students All studies undertaken in the past on the professional value of temporary study in another country have shown consistently that formerly mobile students differ most clearly from formerly non-mobile ones in taking over international assignments. This recent study confirms this conventional wisdom. 18 percent of the 2000/01 ERASMUS students employed five years later have been regularly employed abroad at least for some time - after graduation; this figure is more or less equal to that of prior surveys. Available statistics suggest that this figure is several times as high as among non-mobile graduates. Of those surveyed, half have considered working abroad and almost one quarter have sought employment abroad; these figures are clearly lower than those of previous cohorts of ERASMUS students surveyed. About half of the recent respondents employed note that their employing organisation has an international scope, and even a higher proportion report substantial international activities. Almost one third see their own work as being embedded into an international context, and even more consider their international competences as important for their current work: About two-thirds view communicating in foreign languages and working with people from different backgrounds as professionally important, more than half of the formerly mobile students assess their knowledge and understanding of international differences in cultures and societies, and almost half their knowledge of other countries xvii

18 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility as important for their job tasks. These proportions mostly are somewhat higher than in previous years. Actually asked how much they use their international competences, a substantially smaller proportion respond affirmatively. Only somewhat more than one third often communicate in foreign languages, about one quarter frequently use firsthand knowledge of other countries and cultures, and only one of seven frequently travels to other countries. Figure 4 shows that former ERASMUS students recently surveyed report less often visible international work tasks than the predecessor generations. Yet, data allow us to estimate that former ERASMUS students are clearly more frequently active in international work tasks than formerly non-mobile students. Figure 4 80 ERASMUS-Related Work Task of Employed Former ERASMUS Students a Comparison with Previous Surveys (percent) Using the language of the host country orally Using the language of the host country in reading and writing Using firsthand professional knowledge of host country Using first hand knowledge of host country culture/society Professional travel to host country Percent of students/graduates ERASMUS students 1988/89 surveyed 1993 Graduates 1994/95 surveyed 2000 Type of survey ERASMUS students 2000/01 surveyed 2005 Question F6: To what extent do the responsibilities of your work involve the following? Scale of answers from 1 = to a very high extent to 5 = not at all. Source: Maiworm and Teichler 1996; Jahr and Teichler 2002; University of Kassel, VALERA Survey of Former ERASMUS Students The latter finding corresponds to the employers responses: Many of them note internationally experienced students taking over international tasks more frequently than students without international experience. They specify this regarding international tasks in general, use of foreign languages, international cooperation, using information and travel abroad. Also most of the experts surveyed are convinced that former ERASMUS students take over such assignments substantially more often than formerly non-mobile students. xviii

19 Executive Summary Additional Findings about the Professional Value of Student Mobility Competences, transition to employment, career and professional assignment of former ERASMUS students cannot be attributed predominantly to the temporary study experience in another European country. One has to bear in mind that a substantial proportion of them were internationally mobile prior to their course, and also many of them were mobile during the course of study beyond the ERASMUS-supported period. Moreover, they are a select group of students in various respects. ERASMUS has a mobilizing and reinforcing value, and often it has some value added as regards graduate career and notably international mobility and international work assignments, but certainly ERASMUS has not such a strong impact on the careers of graduates as their more favourable careers and the stronger international components of their careers per se might suggest. The ERASMUS programme intends to serve students from all eligible countries to more or less the same extent. But, certainly, some graduates benefit more strongly than others. Most strikingly, former ERASMUS students from Central and Eastern European countries report advantageous employment and work in general and international assignments more frequently than their peers from Western Europe. They are a more select group, but they also benefit more strongly from the study period abroad. There are differences according to field of study as regards the professional value of studying for some period in another European country, but altogether they are less striking than one might expect. Among the four fields addressed in the in-depth second phase of this evaluation study, the lowest impact on academic and field-specific knowledge was reported in Chemistry, while the impact perceived was relatively strong in Business Studies and Sociology. Across all four fields, ERASMUS mobility was not viewed as a frequent access route to high-flying careers but rather as a "door-opener" into the labour market. In the professionally oriented fields - Business Studies and Mechanical Engineering - the globalisation process and the international business activities seem to make international competences necessary even for positions in national companies. In the other fields - Sociology and Chemistry international competences were also viewed as important for internationalising job roles of some graduates; more importantly, though, international study experience was viewed as contributing to many soft skills in demand also in jobs without any visible international components. The Professional Value for Mobile Teachers At first glance, the conditions for professional value of teaching abroad seem to be completely different from that of study abroad. Persons already in the middle of their career (47 years old on average) and mostly already internationally experienced spend a short period of about two weeks on average in another country with the support of ERASMUS. One could expect a substantially more modest impact than on the part of mobile students. Surprisingly, though, the formerly mobile teachers in the framework of ERASMUS note a substantial value of temporary teaching abroad. It is seen as enhancing subsequent academic work of the formerly mobile teachers. 58 percent of the respondents note a xix

20 The Professional Value of ERASMUS Mobility positive impact on their own professional development in general. Actually, 65 percent report a general improvement of their research contacts, 60 percent broadened their academic knowledge while teaching abroad, 53 percent got involved in innovative academic discussions originating from the country or the institution of their temporary stay, 45 percent improved their teaching in general, and 40 percent developed and implemented new teaching methods. According to many experts surveyed, teaching abroad contributes positively to the teachers general academic knowledge and formerly mobile teachers are academically superior on average to those not mobile for teaching purposes. The experts surveyed at the beginning of this study have perceived a slightly stronger spread of subsequent innovation in teaching than improvement of research and general academic activities. The mobile teachers, in contrast, more often report a substantial impact on their subsequent research activities or their academic knowledge in general than on teaching. In addition, temporary teaching abroad is viewed by the mobile teachers as reinforcing international dimensions of their career. Subsequently, they have spent on average altogether almost one month abroad annually mostly to attend conferences, but often as well to undertake research activities or to teach. Half of them believe that the teaching period has enhanced their international scientific cooperation activities, while one third each see invitations from abroad and cooperation in research project increasing as a consequence of their ERASMUS teaching period abroad. The experts surveyed present an even more favourable view. More than three quarters each believe that mobile teachers are superior to non-mobile ones after the teaching period abroad in their knowledge of higher education of the host country, intercultural understanding and competences as well as foreign language proficiency. Moreover, formerly mobile teachers are convinced that ERASMUS teaching mobility has a positive impact on their institution of higher education. More than half of them argue that teaching mobility has been helpful for improving advice provided to mobile students and for providing knowledge on other countries. Almost half consider teaching mobility beneficial to improve the coordination of study programmes between the participating institutions, the range of foreign language teaching, the developments of new study concepts and the growing relevance of comparative approaches (see Figure 5). The university leaders surveyed note a very positive effect as well of teaching staff mobility on their institution: More than three quarters consider teaching staff mobility as contributing to the international reputation of the higher education institution. More than half observe a positive effect on international research activities and half of them each on various dimensions of teaching and learning. Further, it is worth noting that 9 percent of the formerly mobile teachers are professionally active five years later in another country than that where they had taught prior to the ERASMUS supported period in many cases in the country of their temporary teaching period abroad. This is certainly a higher degree of mid-career international mobility than one could have anticipated. Even more than two-thirds of the experts addressed believe that teaching abroad increases the opportunity for xx